Just How Far Is the "Ground Zero Mosque" From Ground Zero?

[웃 910]

Just How Far Is the "Ground Zero Mosque" From Ground Zero?

The "Ground Zero Mosque" that we have been and will be hearing so much about is not exactly a mosque, nor is it at Ground Zero. Here's why: you can't see Ground Zero -- the former site of the World Trade Center -- from the future site of the Cordoba House.

From 45 Park Place, the former Burlington Coat Factory building that will make way for the Cordoba House, it's two blocks, around a corner, to get to the WTC site. Park Place doesn't lie between the construction site and any mass transit stations, so you would need to go out of your way to have it offend you. If you look up the walking directions you'll notice that it takes a couple of minutes to walk the distance (approximately a tenth of a mile) between the two spots. Pretty much two minutes exactly when I took the trip with a shaky video camera. Here's the clip, first sped up to 4X speed then slowed down to 1X:

When the new World Trade Center rises, you'll be able to see it from 45 Park Place, because it'll be by far the tallest thing around. The planned Cordoba House will be dwarfed. It certainly won't overlook or overshadow Ground Zero.

Why is the distance between the two sites so important? Simple accuracy, for one. It's frustrating to see so many commentators blithely disregard an obvious, physical problem with the "mosque at Ground Zero" formulation: it's not at Ground Zero.

Clyde Haberman of the New York Times further explains the significance:

There's that "at." For a two-letter word, it packs quite a wallop. It has been tossed around in a manner both cavalier and disingenuous, with an intention by some to inflame passions. Nobody, regardless of political leanings, would tolerate a mosque at ground zero. "Near" is not the same, as anyone who paid attention back in the fourth grade should know.

I understand the journalist's impulse to use the "Ground Zero Mosque" shorthand to instantly remind readers why they should care about the story. Headlines leave out qualifiers like "near" all the time for brevity's sake. But in this case the elision is critical; leaving out the "near" clearly takes sides -- against the "mosque" and against accuracy.

In addition, the building planned for 45 Park Place is a cultural center with a prayer room -- not a single-purpose house of worship for Muslims, which is probably what we should reserve the word "mosque" for. As Haberman also explains, "That it may even be called a mosque is debatable. It is designed as a multi-use complex with a space set aside for prayer -- no minarets, no muezzin calls to prayer blaring onto Park Place."

The 92nd Street Y, on which the Cordoba House is explicitly modeled, has a whole host of Jewish events take place inside of it, but no one calls it a synagogue. There's no good reason why Cordoba House should be misleadingly called a "mosque." I've been guilty of using this word too, in conversation and in writing, but it's inaccurate. Muslims already read the Quran and pray at 45 Park Place, but that does not and will not turn it into a "mosque."

There's one more catch for the opponents of the so-called Ground Zero mosque: by the same logical leap you can call the Cordoba Center a "mosque," you can also call Ground Zero as it already exists a giant, open-air mosque. Muslim prayers are already taking place right on the edge of the construction site, and not for world domination. Families are going there to pray -- for the souls of the dozens of innocent Muslim victims who died on September 11.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Families are going there to pray -- for the souls of the dozens of innocent Muslim victims who died on September 11.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html

?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_September_11_attacks

[^_^ 5,021]

?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_September_11_attacks

Make your point clearly and please try to keep the Captain's advice in mind when doing so.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Make your point clearly and please try to keep the Captain's advice in mind when doing so.

Read what I quoted and then click the link. My post is pretty obvious.

[^_^ 5,021]

Read what I quoted and then click the link. My post is pretty obvious.

[Marilyn. 340]

it isn't obvious to me...

[^_^ 5,021]

it isn't obvious to me...

He is being coy.

[Peikko 1,575]

Because the link doesn't do anything?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

It should be at least a mile away.

[fozzie 41]

It should be at least a mile away.

Why? There is an actual Mosque Mosque 4 blocks from the Ground Zero site that pre dates the world trade center. There was also a prayer space in the towers that were utilized by muslims. Cant get closer than inside.

No one said anything when it was approved in December...only when it became a political tool did anyone care.

Edited September 16, 2010 by fozzie

[twowls 217]

Why? There is an actual Mosque Mosque 4 blocks from the Ground Zero site that pre dates the world trade center. There was also a prayer space in the towers that were utilized by muslims. Cant get closer than inside.

No one said anything when it was approved in December...only when it became a political tool did anyone care.

Pure, unadulterated sense. This "controversy" is complete bullsh*t. The only reason it has any traction at all is that people keep lying about its being AT GROUND ZERO and it being a mosque. All made up.

It's a glorified rec room next to a strip club in a community with lots of Muslims--the very definition of a community center (minus the strip club). Anyone who still cries foul after all the facts are digested is a total psycho. Psycho. Psychotic.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Read what I quoted and then click the link. My post is pretty obvious.

I'm an long time editor at Wikipedia. You know that much of it, especially the controversial topics, are merely opinion pieces, no? Anything about Islam and Muslims is highly politicized there. No one serious about making a point would use it as an authoritative source.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Why? There is an actual Mosque Mosque 4 blocks from the Ground Zero site that pre dates the world trade center. There was also a prayer space in the towers that were utilized by muslims. Cant get closer than inside.

No one said anything when it was approved in December...only when it became a political tool did anyone care.

There are two other Muslim prayer rooms less than a mile from GZ. The one at Park51 has been in use for jummah and daily prayers for nearly a year. There's also a prayer room for use by Muslims at the Pentagon. Moving this one will only embolden the bigots and that's bad public policy.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[SuperDuper! 230]

There are two other Muslim prayer rooms less than a mile from GZ. The one at Park51 has been in use for jummah and daily prayers for nearly a year. There's also a prayer room for use by Muslims at the Pentagon. Moving this one will only embolden the bigots and that's bad public policy.

You should be a Washington Politician then....